Ophthalmic mounting.



J. C. WELLS.

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2|. 19x4.

1,176,694. Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

W/TIVESSES: INVENTOR J 05 L C. WELLS A TTORNE S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOEL C. WELLS, OF SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING.

Application filed February 21, 1914.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL C. VVnLLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Southbridge, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ophthalmic Mountings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ophthalmic mountings and has particular reference to that type of lens clip or clamp shown in my application, Serial No. 7 38,258, filed December 23, 1912.

The leading object of the present invention is the provision of an improved lens clip or clamp which shall contact at a predetermined position with any ophthalmic lens within practicable limits regardless of its curvature.

Other objects and advantages of my improvement should be readily apparent by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be understood that I may make any modifications in the specific details of construction shown and described within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of my invention.

Figure I represents a fragmentary View in elevation of a mounting embodying my improvement. Fig. II represents a sectional view on the line II-II of Fig. 1. Fig. III represents a similar view on the line III III. Fig. IV represents a plan view of the blank from which my clip is formed. Fig. V represents a sectional View on the line V-V of Fig. I, and Fig. VI represents a fragmentary view of a slightly different construction. Fig. VII represents a slight modification of Fig. VI.

In the drawings, in which similar characters of reference are employed to denote cor responding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 designates the bridge of a mounting which may be of any desired construction, a spectacle bridge being shown in the present instance, the bridge having secured to each end thereof a lens clip com-- prising a strap portion 2 and the clip ears 3 connected through the lens by the lens screw 4, which serves to retain the lens in position.

As previously mentioned, the purpose of my invention is the provision of a clip which shall contact with the lens mounted therein Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 820,210.

at a predetermined point on the lens irrespective of its curvature. It will be understood that this result may be attained by several slightly different constructions, all of which I consider as within the purview of my invention.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I dispose on each side of the lens screw aperture 5, and substantially in line therewith a contact 6, so formed that a definite contact with the lens is necessitated no matter what the contour of the lens is, as clearly illustrated in the sectional views.

\Vhile I have illustrated these points as substantially in line with the axis of the screw or connecting member 4, this has been illustrated merely as the preferred location and as having to date proved the most satis factory in use, but it is to be understood that the position of the points may be varied as may prove desirable. In any event, however, whether the surface engaged be plano or convex, as shown in Fig. II, or concave, as indicated in Fig. III, the bending of the clip ears to fit said particular shape of lens will vary the point of contact but slightly. This construction is of decided importance and advantage in the mounting of lenses, since the contacts are brought against the lens preferably at each side of the screw, and the action is a direct clamping action, whose force may be gaged by the tightening of the screw, eliminating the objection previously present, in which varying portions of the clips engaged the lens and there was the consequent uncertain leverage from the screw to the contact point which would frequently be so great as to cause breakage without any undue tightening of the screw.

It will be understood that the exact shape as well as the position of the contacts may be varied, and that the contacts may be either in the form of rounding ribs at the edges of the clips, as shown in Figs. IV and V, may be formed by hollowing out a longitudinally extending groove in the clips, by longitudinally rounding the clip ears themselves, by providing lugs as shown in Fig. VI, of any desired size and shape, or in any other manner which will produce the intended result. Whatever the method employed for producing these contacts, in the carrying out of the basic principle of my invention, I provide a clip or clips having a plurality (preferably two) of contacts so shaped and disposed as to engage a lens at a predetermined point relative to its periphery irrespective of the curvature of the faces of the lens where engaged by the clips.

lVhile most of the views of the drawings have illustrated my invention applied to one conventional form of lens clamp, it is not my intention to limit its use with this particular form of clamp, as my invention is equally applicable to structures having fixed lens engaging ears or relatively movable ears to structures having a single ear engaging one side of the lens and a washer, screw head or their equivalent engaging the opposite side of the lens, or to any other type of lens clamp and may be applied to both ears or to but one, the essential .feature of my invention residing in the provision of the contacts irrespective of the support therefor or the manner of formation of attachment of the contacts to said support.

I claim:

1. A lens clip ear having raised contacts on its inner face, said contacts being longitudinally curved, the outer edges of said contacts being transversely rounded.

2. A lens clip ear having a transversely concave inner face to provide inwardly projecting edges, said edges being longitudinally convex.

3. A lens clip ear having a fastener receiving aperture formed therein, and having a projecting portion located on each side of said aperture, each of said projections being formed with a longitudinal curvature.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOEL C. WELLS.

Witnesses H. H. STYLL, C. I. KING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

